By the time you get this issue of BCAJ in your hands, the
busy month of September would have been over and you would be a bit relaxed.
The wonderful festival of Diwali would be round the corner. I wish all readers
a peaceful, joyous and memorable festive season.
The views expressed by me regarding today’s students in my
last month’s President’s Page have touched a cord in many readers’ hearts. I
have received calls from several persons including a past president of ICAI
complimenting me on accurately bringing out the plight of students. I am glad
that readers are alive to this serious issue. I hope that more and more people
take a lead in guiding and mentoring the children of today so that we have
better human beings, capable professionals and able leaders tomorrow.
The elections to the regional and central councils of ICAI
have now been announced. The first week of December will see hotly contested
elections. If the past is anything to go by and if reports that are trickling
in are to be believed, the elections this time will see many more candidates
and intense campaigning across the country. Elections in our country – be they
political ones or the ones that take place in professional and other
organisations like ICAI, generally have one feature in common – a lot of
people interested in contesting and very few people interested in voting.
Candidates cry themselves hoarse in inviting, cajoling, imploring voters, to
come out and vote. And voters simply stay at home. This year too, most of us
would have by now been approached by someone or the other, who is planning to
contest the elections. Already, the media of sms, e-mails, facebook, groups,
etc., have started being used by some such persons. Unfortunately, the
enthusiasm shown by the contestants is not shared by the voters. Every
election sees a dismal voter turnout. Not even 50% of professional voters in
the country deem it fit to spend a few minutes to fulfil their moral duty to
go and vote. Why does this happen? First of all, what is it that attracts so
many people to contest the ICAI elections ?
If I don’t have the time and inclination to vote, I have no
moral right to complain about the leaders that get elected. This holds good
for every one of us. We must vote. The recent developments at the ICAI, which
all of us are well aware of, in view of the widely circulated e-mails, are
highly deplorable. When elections are round the corner, it offers all of us a
golden opportunity to set our house in order. Let us all carefully analyse the
credentials of each candidate and then vote for the most competent and
deserving one(s). Hopefully, the ICAI elections would not be fought on caste
and communal lines. Hopefully, the results of elections would not be dependent
on the power of influential candidates backed by large firms or political
parties. Hopefully, ICAI will create a platform for all candidates to appear
before their voters and present their views and thereby allow voters to judge
for themselves whom to vote for and whom not to vote for. Last time, the BCAS
had decided to organise an event titled “Know your Candidates”. However, the
same could not be held on account of the restrictions placed by ICAI on the
candidates appearing in such programmes. This is most unfortunate and I
strongly urge the Central Council to reconsider this particular issue and, if
necessary, to amend its election guidelines to allow candidates to meet their
voters on a common platform. Even during the political elections, we have seen
such programmes being held. It is not enough for ICAI to merely send a
standard booklet giving academic and other achievements of the various
candidates. It is the need of the hour for ICAI to permit the voters to
collectively meet the candidates on a common platform and let the voters judge
the candidates on the basis of personal interaction. In fact, if our leaders’
yoga sessions could be telecast on a TV channel, why not a panel discussion of
the candidates? The future of our profession is dependent on its leaders. If
our leaders are not worthy, our future is hazy.
I urge every member of our Institute who reads the BCAJ to
wake up and take the ensuing elections seriously. Let us rise to the occasion
and vote this time to make a difference. Let us seriously consider the merits
of each candidate and then elect only good, competent and selfless people. Let
us question every person who approaches us for our vote as to why he/she is
contesting the elections. There have always been lurking allegations about
using one’s position in the Council for obtaining empanelment and allotment of
bank and PSU audits or for helping others in doing so. The ICAI must bring out
a clarification on this issue. The ICAI members have every right to question
the ICAI as well as its leaders. After all, that is what democracy is all
about. Several of the sitting and aspiring Council members are my friends. To
all of them as well as to all others, my message is simple and common – prove
your worth and genuineness to me if you want my vote. There is also one
controversial matter that has been at the back of my mind for a long time. I
would like to vote only for the candidate who promises me that he/she would
strive for getting BCAS programmes recognised for CPE credit purposes. This of
course is something which cannot be decided by one or two council members.
However, I have yet to come across any candidate who has actually promised to
make efforts in this behalf. Where there is a will, there is a way. I am
searching for the person with the will. Many BCAS members whom I meet, often
ask me why the BCAS programmes are not recognised for CPE credits even though
they are excellent in terms of quality. My answer to them is to go and ask
this question to the ICAI council members. Maybe, now that elections are round
the corner, it would be a good time to ask this question. This applies with
equal force to programmes organised by other sister organisations which have
been doing fantastic work for their members.
The mystery of the Direct Tax Code is slowly getting known
to all of us. By now, several programmes have been held across the nation on
this subject. One hopes that this Finance Minister reads the Representations
that are made. One also hopes that the large number of mistakes, problems and
anomalies that have been discovered will be rectified when the final version
is unveiled.
The Accounting and Auditing Committee of the BCAS has come
up with an ambitious plan of an IFRS month in December, 2009. We would be
focussing on IFRS during that month. The enthusiastic members of the committee
are excitedly planning for the same. Plans for the annual RRC are also in
progress. You will read more about all these in the days to come.
The BCAS has always excelled in arranging programmes on
technical matters. I would now like the organisation to also help and guide
its members in running their own offices more efficiently and in a better
manner. Practice Management is something that most small and medium sized
firms do not pay much attention to. In the September issue of BCAJ, there is an article on HR. I am hopeful that we will be able to carry more such articles in future on the subject. If smaller firms are serious about facing the challenges from larger firms and global firms, they need to drastically improve their internal systems and processes. BCAS would play the role of a catalyst in this matter, as usual. I invite your feedback on the same.
Have a great festive season.
Sincerely yours,
Ameet Patel
President
